Rail joint bar



G. LANGFORD 1,890,687

RAIL JOINT BAR Fi1ed Jan. 15, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Eff \NI IF L EF 5 lF/i/L 5 105 Riv/1.

dag/5 Dec. 13, 1932. LANGF'ORD 1390,68?

RAIL JOINT BAR Filed Jan. 15, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Gw aclaflgjrci J WW Patented Dec. 13, 1932 GEORGE LANGF ORD, OF J'OLIET, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOE T0 MCKENNA PRUCESQ OF ILLINOIS, OF JULIET, ILLINOIS, A COIRFOBATION OF ILLINOIS Rain JOINT s Application fi led Ianuary15, 1931. semi no. scare i.

' The present invention has to do withbars used in rail joints and has particular reference to structural modifications of the ZfiShsing surfaces which make contact with corresponding fishing surfaces of the rail ends.

Rail jointbars are commonly used, have top and bottom fishing surfaces, these surfaces being continuous and of uniform width throughout the lengths of the bars. The bars and rail ends are pierced with holes so that bolts may be inserted through bars and rail ends. \Vhen the nuts of the bolts are tightened up, bars and rail ends are brought into tight contact on their respective fishing sur faces.

As is well known, bars of ordinary type with uniform fishing contact throughout their lengths, have no provision for remedying the extreme wear which occurs from use, at a restricted central portion of the bar. The joint becomes loose at this central portion because of extreme Wear, while the end portions of the joint remain tight because of only slight wear at the end portions. To take up the central wear, the center portion of the bar must be drawn inward to the rails by center bolt tension, necessitating bending the bar inward at the. center portion because of the reluctance of the end portions to wear and move inward at the same rate as the center portion. The'present invention is directed to a modification of the fishing surfaces at each side of the center portion of the fishing surface, but not at the ends, so that the surfaces intermediate the center portion and ends will present less resistance to inward movement of these portions of the bar and less resistance to bending, thereby enabling the worn center portion of the bar to be drawn into tight fishing contact with the corresponding fishing contacts of the rails. To accomplish this. I reduce the intermediate fishing contacts of the bar with the rails so that the resultant bar is of modified fishing type whichif desired can bercstored by use to its original fishing type, the change of type being accomplished by wear and bolt tension after the bar has been in service in a joint. The main object of my invention is to reduce the width of intermediate lengths of one or both of the top and bottom fishing surfaces, so as to reduce the width of rail contact when the bar is in a joint, or to remove the intermediate fishing surfaces from rail contact initially in amount so that they will come into rail contact before the loars life is ended in a joint. Another object is to confine the modifications of intermediate fishing surfaces to one only of the top and bottom fishing surfaces, and in some cases to cause no deforms.

Further Fig. 5 is an inside perspective view of a long six hole bar of my invention;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of a fishing surface of the bar of Fig. 5;

Fig. '3' is a. plan view of a fishing surface of my invention;

Figs. 8, 9 and 10 are end views of bars fitg ted to rail profiles, showing modifications of fishing surfaces by deflection;

Figs. 11 and 12 represent variations Figs. 5 and 6 respectively;

Fig. 13 is a plan view of a fishing surface with its intermediate portions deflected out of the rail contact plane;

Fig. M is a plan view of a fishing surface with its intermediate portions depressed out of the rail contact plane;

Figs. 15, 16, 1'l',l8,and. 19 are end views bar heads showing various applications my invention;

Fig. 20 is an end view of bar of my invei. tionfitted to a rail profile, the bar having rail headand rail head fillet contact at its center and end portions, and only rail head fillet contact at its intermediate portions 3' Fig. 21 is similar to Fig. 20 eacept sis the intermediate portions have rail head contact only. i

The present invention has resulted from the difficulties encountered in the change from the use of light-sectioned angle bars without lateral reenforcement and made of low carbon unhardened steel, to heavy-sectioned I-beam bars with lateral reenforcement and made of high carbon hardened steel. The soft angle bars once used offered slight resistance to bending to take up the central wear, but thehard I-beam bars now used are too stiff to be bent inwardly. Consequently, when an I-beam bar becomes worn at its center portion and the joint becomes loose, the joint remains loose because of the resistance of the bar to inward bending.

Fig. 1 is a sectional view of a rail joint wherein light angle bars are used to make the joint. 1 is the rail and 2 and 3 are the angle bars. the three being held in tight engagement by the bolts 4.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of a rail ioint wherein heavy I-beam bars are used. These bars 2 and 3 have lateral head reenforcement at 5. this reenforcement greatly strengthening the upper half of the bar so that the bar section as a whole approaches I-beam section and loses much of the angle form shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is aside perspective view of the joint shown in Fig. 1. 1 are the rail ends, 3

one of the angle bars. and 4 the bolts used to although the greater. b am strength of the fasten the bars to the rail ends. This is a view of the joint in a badly worn condition, the center wear having been taken up by bending the center portion 6 of the bar in by tension of the two center bolts. Because of the comnarativelv slight end wear, and the longitudinal curve resulting from bending in the bars at the center, the ends of the bar stand slightly away from the rails at 7 and 8.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the joint shown in Fig. 2. 1 are the rail ends, 3 one of the bars. and 4 the bolts. This is a badly worn rail joint, and the center wear 9 has not been taken up, th s her being too stiff laterally to be bent in at the center bv the center bolts. The center portion of the jo nt is not tight, therefore in that respect. this joint is less effective than the joint of Fig. 3,

I-beam bar should ina e it a much more rigid joint than that of Fig. 3.

My invention. although suitab e for angle bars, is directed in particu ar to I-heam bars with fishing surfaces modified so as to remove. or at least grea lv reduce. the hars resistance to inward bending at the center.

The extreme wear of a po nt is confined to only eight inches. more or less. of the center portion. The angle bar 3 of Fig. 3 moulds itself more or less to this worn center portion 6a and tends to extend the length of wear as shown by dimension 11. The I-beam bar 3 of Fig. 4, being too stiff laterally to be moulded in at the center portion 9 as in the case of the angle bar of Fig. 3, simply stands away from the worn center portion of the joint, and the joint once loose, rema ns loose, seeing that the center bolts are not strong enough to bend the center portion of the bar in on the short span 10, the supports being at the extremities of dimension 10, and the force to bend the bar inward reacting upon these extremities. In the case of angle bar 3 of Fig. 3, it can be seen by dimension 11, that the distance between extremities or reaction supports is greatly lengthened. If the distance between the extremities of dimension 10 in Fig. 4 were lengthened, the resistance of the bar to inward bending would be decreased.

In my Patent No. 1,799,380. filed March 25, 1929, and issued April 7, 1931, and my Patent No. 1,799,381, filed March 28, 1929, and issued April 7, 1931, I disclose novel types of bars wherein the fishing surfaces are of normal or full w dth at their center portions and of reduced width at their end portions, the reductions of end portion fishing contact being designed to accelerate rate of wear and movement inward where wear of the joint is least, so as to keep pace with center wear where wear is greatest, thereby permitting the bar to move as a whole to the rail ends by wear and bolt tension without the necessity of bending the bar inward at the center.

In the present-invention, the end portions of the bar are each considered as composed of an intermediate and an end port on, the latter being of substantial length at each of the extreme ends. As shown in the drawings, the extreme end portions or simply end portions as I will call them, are of substantial length, and preferably shorter than the intermediate lengths. Reduction of fish ng contact is here n confined to the intermediate portions of the bar, the end portions and center portions remaining full width of fishing contact, or both being of greater fishing width than the intermediate fishing width. v Fig. 5 is an ins de perspective view of a long six hole bar show ng one form of my invention, the latter being particularly applicable to long bars, although also applicable to short four hole bars. C is the center portion, I the intermed ate portions and E the end portions, these same reference letters being also used in the other figures to be described. The bar of Fig. 5 has full width fishing surface CF at the center portion C and full width EF at the end portions E, but the intermediate ,portions I are of materially reduced fishing width IF, the bar being provided with a continuous fishing surface throughout its length but narrowed at its intermediate portions so as to accelerate rate of wear and movement inward at the intermediatev portions, thereby lengthening theinward bending span from 13, as forsix hole bar, allowing the intermediate bolts to assist in bending. In the case of the heavy I-beam bar, this effective center and intermediate bolt tension combined with the lateral stiffness of the bar, contributes to greater pressure on the end portion fishing surfaces E, causing them to wear faster and assisting the bar as a whole to wear and move to the rails more evenly than in the case of bars of ordinary fishing type.

This is the preferred form of my invention. It will be noticed that the top fishing surface is narrowed alon the inside of the bar, the purpose of this being to preserve longitudinal continuity of rail contact on the outside where it can be readily seen in track whether or not the reduced intermediate bar surface is in proper contact with the rail ends.

The bottom fish ng surface is shown similarly narrowed at its intermediate portions on the inside. It is not essential that both the top and bottom fishing surfaces be narrowed along their intermediate portions as shown. Either one or both may be so narrowed as desired.

Fig. 6 is a plan View of the head fishing shown in the bar of Fig. 5. The rail side is at 14.

The novelty of my invention lies in the broad idea of reduced width ofintermediate fishing surface contact.

By the words reduced width, I mean narrowed, although substantial width, and not a mere linecontact or entire absence of contact. Although in practice I provide a narrowed intermediate fishing surface, this surface is of substantial width, such as will perform structurally as a rail contacting part of the bar.

Fig. 7 is a plan view of another form of my invention wherein the reduction of intermediate rail contact width is accomplished by reflecting the top or bottom or both members of the bar at intermediate portions of its length. The lettering is the same as in Fig. 5, 14 being the rail side. In the prior art, the lateral deflection of intermediate fishing surfaces of a bar has been employed to withdraw both the top and bottom surfaces from the plane of rail contact so as to avoid all contact. The

' purpose of my invention shown in Fig. 7

is to reduce the intermediate rail con; act width of a bars fishing surface or to remove intermediate portions of only one surface out of rail contact. In Fig. 7 the deflected intermediate portions I are maintained in the same rail. contact plane as the center portion C and end portions E, but in reduced width IF inasmuch as the portion IF -IF of the bar protrudes laterally beyond the outer line of the corresponding rail surface. This is further illustrated in Fig. 8 which is an end view of a bar fitted to a rail, G and E being the center ortion and end portions respectively of a ar, and I being the two outwardly deflected intermediate portions. The top surface of the bar is made of rail contact width IF at its intermediate portions by deflection of IFIF outside of rail contact. To maintain the top fishing surface in rail contact throughout its length, this surface must be deflected not merely outwardly but slightly upwardIy in amount to be in the ra:l fishing contact plane. In this manner-the top fishing surface of the joint has intermediate portions of reduced fishing surface contact width.

In Fig. 8 the top and bottom members of the bar have their intermediate portions deflected outwardly and upwardly. The bottom intermediate surfaces are raised and there will be no intermediate rail contact at bottom initially, although the center portion and end portions will have full width bottom contact IF, the end portion contacts providing for moment length of the bar as a whole so that it will function structurally as a beam which would not be the case were there no end contact whereby the effective moment length would be restricted to the too short length of the center portion.

Fig. 9 is similar to Fig. 8 except that the intermediate deflection of thetop and The bottom fishing surface has no outer clearance from the rail base, and such a structure is necessary to reduce the width of bottom fishing contact by deflection, which in Fig. 8 could not be so reduced because of the ease ment or provision for clearance between the bottom surface of bar and the upper outer port on of the rail base. In Fig. 10 the top and bottom fishing surfaces are both so deflected at their intermediate portions that the top and bottom rail contacts are maintained throughout the length of the bar although the intermediate portions of the top surface provide for reduced width of rail contact. In the case of a flange without easement as in Fig. 9, the bottom deflection in Fl g. 10 would result in reduced intermediate width of the bottom rail contact.

Figs. 11 and 12 are similar to Figs. 5 and 6 respectively except that one or both of the top and bottom fishing surfaces have their intermediate portions narrowed on the out side. These narrowed fishng surfaces are of substantial length and width, and as shown in the figures, the end portions although of substantial length, are shorter than the intermediate portions, the latter being as long as possible so as to materially increase the effective bending span 10 shown in Fig. 4 by reducing the wear resistance of the intermediate fishing surfaces.

" Fig. 13 is a plan view of the top fishing surface of Fig. 9 or the bottom fishing surface of Fig. 8, the intermediate deflection in Fig. 9 being outward and downward, and outward and upward in Fig. 8, so that in Fig. 13,

the intermed ate fishing surfaces are not in the same rail contacting planes as the fishing surfaces of the center portion and end portions.

Figs. 15, 16 and 17 are end views of the head portion of the bar of Fig. 11. The width of each intermediate fishing surface is here reduced by depressing the outer part, as opposed to the bar of Fig. 5 wherein intermediate surfaces are narrowed by depressing them on the inside.

Fig. 13 is a plan view of the top fishing surface of Fig. 9 or of the bottom fishing surface of Fig. 8. Only one of the top and bottom fishing surfaces has its intermediate portions removed from the plane of rail contact; the other providing for rail contact in reduced width.

Fig. '18 is an end view of the top member laterally deflected at its intermediate portions so as to avoid rail contact. This lateral deflection may also be downward or slightly upward, the intermediate top surfaces being removed from the plane of rail contact.

Fig. 14 is a plan view of a top or bottom fishing surface wherein each intermediate portion is entirely removed from the plane of rail contact by depressing it vertically throughout its length and width. In this case, only one of the top and bottom fishing surfaces is thus permanently altered, the other surface having its intermediate portions wholly or in part in the plane of rail contact during some part of its life at least.

Fig. 19 is an end view of the top member of a bar which has its top intermediate surfaces depressed entirely below the lane of rail contact. The bottom fishing sur ace may be similarly depressed. Where lateral deflection or vertical depression is employed to entirely remove intermediate portions of the top and bottom surfaces from the plane of rail contact, only one of these surfaceshas its intermediate portions permanently removed from substantial width of rail contact.

The comparatively soft yielding angle bars formerly used in rallways are now discarded in favor of hardened rigid bars of I beam construction. The heights of rails and bars have been greatly increased but the six-hole long lengths and four-hole short lengths of bars are now about as they were formerly. For a given intermediate length it is obvious that if one of the top and bottom fishing surfaces of the bar has intermediate rail contact and the other has not, the bar will yield more readily over the span of no rail contact in a soft yielding bar than in a hard, rigid bar.

If the old yielding bar is given top intermediate rail contact, it is to be expected that when under load, the top intermediate surfaces would not retain their tight fishing grip because of the yielding bar being unsupported at the intermediate gap beneath. In the modern rigid bar, such weakness would be comparatively slight, and the pressure on each top intermediate surface would tend to transfer pressure to the end portions at least of the bottom fishing surface, so as to accelerate wear there, a' result which is desirable to attain. The increased bending moment length of the bottom surface resulting from removing intermediate rail contact would, in the case of the old yielding bar be too long, inasmuch as in practice it has been found that ordinary rail joints act on only 16 to 20. inches of bending moment length. The old yielding angle bar would simply bend at each intermediate portion, whereas the modern rigid bar would bend at its middle on the increased bending moment length.

From the manufacturers point of view, the removal from rail contact of intermediate portions of only one fishing surface instead of both, is a much simpler problem than such removal from intermediate contact of both the top and bottom fishing surfaces. The great bulk of rail joint bars are rolled and to a high degree of accuracy, articularly as to height and angularities of shing. Types of bars that require a supplementary shaping operation by forging, bull-dozing, diefinishing or by other methods, must have this supplementary work done accurately and at not too great an extra cost. Great care must be used in re-shaping so as not to impair the qualty of the steel or the accuracy of the fishing surfaces. In bars which require intermediate deflection or depression to remove intermediate portions of both the top and bottom surfaces from rail contact, the danger of weakening the steel or impairing the fishing accuracy is very great, also there is difliculty in determining by ordinary inspection whether or not the bar will fit properly when placed in a joint.

.The bars of my invention are simplified as much as possible. Preferably they maintain continuity of one fishing surface at least, and in .many cases, continuity of the outer face of the bar: When one fishing surface at least is made continuous throughout its length, this gives an accurately aligned surface to adhere to when making alterations elsewhere. It also simplifies inspection. A bar may be accurate in cross-section throughout its length but warped or bent out of line horizontally or vertically so that it will not fit the rail ends. The less supplementary shaping required, the less danger of inaccuracy in the finished bar. 'An important object of my invention therefore is to secure the forms of bars desired with a minimum of supplementary shaping, with particular regard to the longitudinal as well'as the transverse fit of the fishin surfaces to the rail ends.

In Figs 8 and 10, .the top rail contact width will not be changed at its center portion and end portions, as the joint wears and the bar is drawn inward by bolt tension, but the contact width at each intermediate portion will be gradually widened until finally it is the same as that of the center portion and end portions. The same is true of intermediate portions of the bottom surface of Fig. 9. A bar of one intermediate fishing surface type is thus altered by use and wear so that-it becomes of another intermediate fishs yp Fig. 17 is an end view of a bar head wherein the intermediate depressed surfaces are so angled and depth 18 reduced, that although the intermediate fishing surfaces are originally in reduced wldth contact, the original width IF, gradually increases by wear and take up from bolt tension when the bar is in service in a joint until width IF becomes width IF, which is narrower than CF and EF and remains narrower until the bar has ended its llf. The fishing surface is thus altered by wear. The bar of Fig. 17 is a modification of the bar of Figs. 15 and 16, in P this respect.

In depression 18 of Fig. 17 be made slightly less than that shown, width IF, originally IF, will increase to' width CF, bringing the whole fishing surface of the bar to width CF before the bars life is ended in a joint. This is a further modification of the bar of Figs. 15 and 16, and a carrying forward of the idea of alteration of fishing by wear.

In my copending application, Serial No. 359,761, for rail joint and bar therefor, filed May 2, 1929, I disclose a basic teaching whereby fishing surfaces of one type are converted by wear in a joint to fishing surfaces of another type, the end portion fishing contacts being reduced in such a manner that the areas of the initially reduced surfaces are increased by wear of the joint until the fishing surface of the bar becomes a type different from what it was originally. A fishing surface of this general type isshown in plan in Fig. 7. The rail side is at 14, and the intermediate portions I have been displaced outwardly so that ,when the bar is bolted to the rails, each of the portions I contacts with the rail fishing forjth'e width IF-,-thiswi dth increasing to IF as the bar wears and mov'esito' the rails;

The fishing surface of Fig. 7 is in one plane, portions C, I, and E being all in a common plane. Fishing surface portions I of Fig. 7 may be narrowed as well as displaced outwardly, if desired.

Fig. 14 is a plan view of a fishing surface, shown in end view in Fig. 19. There is no change of fishing width throughout the length, portions I being merely depressed, but the depression is in prescribed amount initially so that as wear in the joint progresses portions I will eventually be brought into fishing contact with the rails before the bars life is ended and will then have full width fishing contact, the same as at the'center and ends.

In Fig. 16, an end View of the head of a bar having the fishing surface of Fig. 12,.

In Fig. 19, an end view of the head of a bar having the fishing surface of Fig. 14, the depth of depression 19 may also be made in amount so that it will come into contact by wear, the bar thereby changing from one fishing type to another fishing type. Only the intermediate portions of the fishing surfaces are reduced. The end portions, which may be made of varied length, have the same fishing contact width as the center ortion.

While the reduction of an intermediate fishing surface by a limited amount of depression or deflection so that the rail contact width will be increased by wear in the joint appears to be only a matter of degree as compared with a greater amount of depression or deflection so as to insure a permanent reduced width or removal from rail contact, the former is a specific application of the disclosure in my Patent No. 1,799,382, issued April 7, 1931. This patent teaches that the end portions of a fishing surface may be reduced in width by partial depression and in restricted amount so that the reduced widths will increase before the bars life is ended in a joint. This is in part the teaching of a bar reforming method wherein the important central portion of a fishing surface of a worn bar may be brought to greater accuracy at the expense of reduced reforming pressure at the end portions whose rail contacts are thereby reduced. This reforming method is disclosed in my Patent No. 1,808,468, issued J une-2, 1931. It teaches how a portion of a rail contacting fishing surface may be re-' duced or removed indirectly by reforming.

It also teaches how worn bars may be re.-'

formed and have portions of fishing surfaces reduced in the one operation ordinarily re quired for reforming. Any portion of a fishing surface may be deflected or depressed ate portions of a fishing surface may be done indirectly by intermediate reliefs from reforming pressure in non-conformable and comparatively simple dies. However, the era tent of deflections, depressions or narrowings is limited, so that the reduced surface as a rule will gain rail contact by wear of the joint, although bars of this type may be made cheaply and accurately.

The present invention applies specifically to the intermediate portions of a fishing surface and also applies to the reduction of one or both fishing surfaces by partial or complete deflection and complete depression, as well as partial depression, as in Figs. 5 and 6. Reformiwi indirectly, the danger of too much distortion of a fishing surface is largely done away with, although the initially reduced or removed rail contact is not fully maintained throughout the life of the bar .in a joint.

The more important feature of novelty in a reduced intermediate fishing surface which will be increased by wear in a joint is that it will function as a reduced or removed rail contacting surface during two very important periods of its life.

When initially fitted to the rail ends, it is essential that the joint be tight at its center portion. Complete removal from rail contact of an intermediate fishing surface prevents interference with the center portion fit by irregularity of line that might occur in the intermediate fishing surface unmodified. The chances for error in initial fitting are thereby lessened. For the first part at least of the joints life as wear progresses, the intermediate portions of the bar will not seriously resist the inward movement of the center portion for a considerable time at least, this time being an important period of the joints life wherein the bar is being moulded by joint wear to the rail ends, the reduced intermediate fishing contacts preventing intermediate resistance to the inward movement of the bars center portion. Loosencss at center and consequent rapid joint wear by batter is thereby greatly delayed, or in some cases made almost negligible before the bars life is ended in a joint. A fishing surface having its intermediate portions reduced with only slight deformation so arto insure success from the manufacturing standpoint, also gives novel and useful re- SUNS.

While the drawings and description all pertain to modifications of the head or upper portion of the bar, I wish to have it plainly understood that the flange or lower portion of the bar may be similarly modified.

I may modify the head fishing only, or the flange fishing only, or I may modify both. Also. the lengths and widths of modified interm-c dinte fishing surfaces may be different from. the head in the flange. It will be wires? noticed that the figures, except for fishing surface modifications, are of uniform section throughout their lengths, being made from ordinary rolled bars, and while I do not wish to limit my invention to rolled bars, I choose them as the preferred forms because it is more practical to modify their intermediate fishing surfaces than in bars of irregular section. Preferably I modify only one fishing surface, and in most cases, avoid deformation of the web so as to simplify the important feature of intermediate fishing surface modification as much as possible by holding as much as possible of the rest of the bar in accurate alignment. Such accuracy in the modified bar is essential, and unless assured, would prevent a good fit to the rail ends and make the bar valueless. An important feature of my invention therefore is its simple and accurate application to a rolled bar.

My invention applies to all kinds of rail joint bars; ordinary head contact, full head contact, head-free, continuous, I-beam, angle and to any other kind of bar which provides top and bottom rail fishing contact at its center and end portions.

Fig. 20 is an end view of a bar fitted to a rail profile. This bar has combined rail head fillet and rail head contact, but its top fishing surface has the intermediate portions of its length depressed on the outer part so that there is only rail head fillet contact at the intermediate portions of the joint. The bar of Fig. 20 is a variation of the bar of Fig. 11. Fig. 21 shows a bar similar to Fig. 20 except that the intermediate portions of the bar have only rail head contact and no rail head fillet contact. There may be other specific variations and combinations of deflection, depression and narrowing portions of a fishing surface, and I do not wish to be limited as to the various applications of my invention as long as I keep within its scope.

In Fig. 21, the head of the bar is shown as of different cross-section in its intermediate portions, compared with the center portion and end portions. Preferably I maintain uniformity of cross-section throughout the length of the bar, but only for convenience to avoid undue distortion in the reshaping operation. In many cases this is an important matter from a manufacturing standpoint although not as affecting the bar functionally. My invention is directed to the modificati on of intermediate fishing surfaces, and I chose the simplest way of doing this. In mostcases, I prefer to maintain uniformity of cross-section through the bar length as near as possible but there are cases where I materially alter the head or foot of the bar at its intermediate portions. I may or may not deform the web or change its cross-section without changing it functionally in its provisions for bolting holes and an outer bolting face, as long as I practice the have their intermediate portions reduced, the

length of the center, intermediate and; end portions of the fishing surfaces being so interrelated as to provide structurally for the proper performance of the bar as a simple beam under load in a joint. The lengths and widths of the center, intermediate and end portions of the-fishing surfaces provide for positive and negative loads at the center portion, and for load reactions and bending moments at the intermediate portions.

\Vhat I claim is 1. A rail joint bar having its top fishing surface narrowed throughout an intermediate length of said fishing surface between each of 1ts end portions and its center portion, said intermediate lengths of said fishing surface being narrowed on the inside.

2. A rail joint bar having its bottom fishing surface narrowed throughout an intermediate length of said fishing surface between each of its end portions and its center por tion, said intermediate lengths of said fishing surface being narrowed on approximately its inside half.

3. In a rail joint bar, a, fishing surface construction having provision for rail fishing contact substantially throughout the length of the bar, the center ortion and each of the end portions of the shing surface being of substantial length and normal width, and an intermediate portion. between the center portion and each of the end portions being oi throughout its length, one at least of the top and bottom fishing surfaces having its intermediate portions defiected laterally and obliquely so that said intermediate surfaces will remain in the plane of rail fishing contact and in less width of the rail fishing contact than at the center portion and end portions. In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 10th day of January 1931.

enonen nandroan.

7 too substantial length and sub-normal width, the

intermediate fishing width being reduced on the inside of the fishing surface.

4. A rail joint bar having provision at its top for fishing contact with the rail head fillet and the underside of the rail head at the center portion and end portions of the bar, the intermediate portions of the top of V the bar providing for rail head fillet contest only and being of less fishing width than at said center ortion and end portions.

5. A rail joint bar having provision at its top for fishing contact with the rail head fillet and the under side of the rail head at the center portion and end portions of the bar, the intermediate portions of the top of the bar providing for contact with the under side only of the rail head and being of less fishing width than at said center portion and end portions.

6. A rail joint bar providing for top and bottom railfishing contact substantially 

